Spring Break
Rhode Island Rivalry Continued
Baseball
Mike Northup
Issue date: 4/23/08 Section: Sports
"In retrospect you look back and say we're 20-21, but a month later we were a double away from a Big East Championship," Penders said. "Can't be really excited about our season, but we also know that we've got enough games in front of us that we can really make it a step in the season that we can build on."
URI came into the last meeting struggling on the year, losing three in a row before losing to UConn. This time around, however, URI looks like a whole new team according to Penders.
"I don't think they're going to be quite the same team," Penders said. "They've got a lot of young guys that have obviously gotten some confidence, so they've been playing well."
URI has come in winning 9 of its last 10 games, and has scored five or more runs in all but one of those games.
While the Rams don't overpower pitchers at the plate, their propensity for small ball and being active on the basepaths means that Glynn will have to be precise and efficient with his pitches to hold them in check.
"They're gonna put pressure on us to field the baseball," Penders said.
Because of that pressure, the Huskies can't afford to play defense like they did in the first two games of the Seton Hall series (both losses) where they committed a combined seven errors.
At this point in the season, Penders said that while they are trying to win every game, the Huskies' biggest focus is on improving its 7-11 Big East record.
"While the out-of-league record is important, it's more important that we just play well," Penders said. "Get better today, get better tomorrow so that we can win on the weekends."
Momentum could be huge going into the weekend, when UConn travels to Morgantown to face fifth-place West Virginia in a three-game series starting Friday.
Contact Mike Northup at
Michael.Northup@UConn.edu.
URI came into the last meeting struggling on the year, losing three in a row before losing to UConn. This time around, however, URI looks like a whole new team according to Penders.
"I don't think they're going to be quite the same team," Penders said. "They've got a lot of young guys that have obviously gotten some confidence, so they've been playing well."
URI has come in winning 9 of its last 10 games, and has scored five or more runs in all but one of those games.
While the Rams don't overpower pitchers at the plate, their propensity for small ball and being active on the basepaths means that Glynn will have to be precise and efficient with his pitches to hold them in check.
"They're gonna put pressure on us to field the baseball," Penders said.
Because of that pressure, the Huskies can't afford to play defense like they did in the first two games of the Seton Hall series (both losses) where they committed a combined seven errors.
At this point in the season, Penders said that while they are trying to win every game, the Huskies' biggest focus is on improving its 7-11 Big East record.
"While the out-of-league record is important, it's more important that we just play well," Penders said. "Get better today, get better tomorrow so that we can win on the weekends."
Momentum could be huge going into the weekend, when UConn travels to Morgantown to face fifth-place West Virginia in a three-game series starting Friday.
Contact Mike Northup at
Michael.Northup@UConn.edu.
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